Golf tee setting device



Aug. 12, 1952 R MASON 2,606,764

coLE' TEE SETTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 9, 1949 FIG. I

Inventor:

ROBERT L. MASON,

Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE z I r 2,606,764 7 g GOLF TEE SETTINGDEVICE Robert L. Mason, Washington, D. 0.

Application August .9, 1649, Serial No. 109,328 7 v This invention relates to improvements in golf tee setting devices, and more particularly to an improved, pocket-type tee setter especially designed to effect ready setting or placing of a golf tee in hardened ground, but equally useful in placing the tee in soft ground and in sodded driving tees.

As is well known, the setting of golf tees in the ground of driving tees of heavily played and usually unwatered golf courses, such as public courses, particularly in'dry weather, is quite difficult, and it is not unusual that the players be required to hammer their tees into the ground with any object available for that ;p'urpose, usually the head of the golf club being used. .Such is not only hard on the club head, but it also detracts from and slows up the game, and it moreover requires the player to assume a kneeling position on the ground, usually withsoiling of the hands and clothes.

While it has been suggested in the prior art to incorporate tee placing meansinto the grip of a golf club handle, such has not provided a practical solution of the problem, since this expedient requires a specially constructed grip on the club handle, thus increasing the cost of an already expensive item. Moreover, downward thrust on the more or less flexible shaft of a golf club, as required to force the tee into the dry, caked ground of the driving tee, is likely to warp or otherwise injure the shaft. Finally, the prior tee setting devices are intended to be built into the grip or handle end of the driver or No. .1 wooden club only, whereas other clubs are used on the shorter holes, with the result that the tee setting devices as heretofore proposed, to be effective, must be built into the grips of all clubs used from the driving tee.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a pocket-type tee setting device, in the nature of a golfing accessory, which may be carried in the pocket and which is effective to set tees into the hardened ground of a driving tee by a simple thrust or push of the hand. An-- other object of the invention is to provide a tee setting device of the stated character which is capable of placing or setting the tee at a fixed elevation from the ground, which may be adjusted to the individual players requirements or preference. Another object of the invention is to provide a golf tee setting device which may be inexpensively manufactured, and which is characterized by thoroughly dependable operation over a long period of use. Another object of the invention is the provision of a tee setting device 2 Clairns (Cl. 273-32) 2 which is so constructed that it will accommodate any of the various styles or makes of tees on the market, having the general form of a pin, provided with an enlarged conically shaped head for supporting a golf ball raised from the ground.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of the improved golf tee setting device of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof, taken with the accompanying drawing illustrating one physical form of the device found to giveigood results in actual practice wherein- Fig.1 is an elevation view of the improved tee setting device, which further illustrates the manner in which it is used to set or place a tee into the ground;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through the tee setting device illustrated in Fig. 1;-and

Fig. 3 is a part perspective view thereof, with the plug being slightly withdrawn from the cylindrical hand piece to illustrate the details of the tee gripping means associated with the plug.

Referring to the drawings, an improved tee setting device according to the present invention preferably comprises two principal parts, namely, a cylindrical or sleeve-like hand piece ID being provided with ablind end bore II, and a cylindrical plug I2 disposed in the bore and which carries tee gripping fingers as will be described. As best seen in Fig. 2, the hand piece is provided with an external knob-like enlargement 13 at its upper end, into which the blind end of the bore ll extends, the bore opening through thefother end of the hand piece through an enlarged counterbore [4. It is also to be understood that the hand piece is of suitable length and diameter that it may be carried about in the pocket, as a golfing accessory, and also that it may be comfortably, yet firmly, held in the hand, as indicated in Fig. l.

The plug [2 preferably has a smooth surface and circular section throughout and a diameter such that it is adapted to snugly fit into the hand piece bore II with sliding clearance. To secure the plug axially within the bore, there is provided a set screw l6'extending through an elongated slot I! provided in the hand piece, the end of the set screw threading into a hole in the plug. By this arrangement, the axial position of the plug in the bore may be adjusted for the length of the slot [1, such adjustment in turn providing for adjustment of the elevation of the tee being set to the players requirements or preference.

Although the illustrated means of securing and axially adjusting the plug in and with respect end face by a nail, screw or the like 28.

comprise a length of spring wire and are formed straight for a major portion of their length, being set into axial grooves 2I formed in the outer face of the plug, the upper ends of the wires being in-bent and seating in holes 22 with which the upper ends of the grooves 2i terminate. spring wires are further secured to the, plug adjacent its lower end face by suitable means, such as a snap ring 23, set into a circumferential groove provided in the outer surface of the plug, the described arrangement insuring that the straight portions of the spring wires 23 are flush or substantially flush with the outer surface of the plug.

The spring wires are of a length to extend beyond the end face of the plug and their extending or free ends form resilient terminals 25 having inwardly directed humps 26 which describe a coneshaped pocket adjacent the plug end face. The

free ends of the terminals 25 incline radially outwardly below the humps 25 and they accordingly function to direct the conical or tapered head of the tee into the spring pocket disposed relatively above said'hun'ips, and also serve to properly center the tee on the axis of the plug.

To insure the maximum thrust being exerted on the head of the tee, the plug is provided on its end face with a push plate 27, which may take the form of a metallic disk secured against said The periphery of the push plate is preferably suitably notched so as to permit free 'fieXing movement of the spring fingers 28.

Maximum thrust is also insured through the provision of a plurality of discs or washers 29 interposed between the upper end of the plug l2 and the blind end of the hand piece bore. The washers have an axial thickness of about /8" and are insertable in and removable from the bore in the number required for a particular adjustment of the plug within the hand piece. Thus, the washers serve as a push link between the hand piece and plug, and take up the pushing force or thrust .that would otherwise be applied to the adjusting screw I6.

In assembly, the tee gripping fingers 2c are cooperated with the plug l2, as indicated in Fig. 3, whereupon the plug and tee gripping fingers carried' thereby may be handled as a unit. Said unit is assembled with the cylindrical hand piece it by the simple operation of inserting the upper end of the plug into the bore i I of the hand piece, and finally securing the plug in proper axial position therein by tightening the set screw it. As above indicated, the axial position of the plug in the hand piece is adjustable for the length of the slot; I'I', so as to permit setting of a tee at either low, intermediate or high elevations from the ground, depending on the players requirements or preference. In any case, it will be observed that regardless of the axial position of the plug and hand piece bore, the ends of the gripping fingers terminate within the hand piececounterbore I3, and thus the device may be'carried in ones pocket 4 without danger of the fingers tearing the pocket material or scratching the skin or hands of the person carrying or using the same.

In use, the tee is inserted, head end first, into the hand piece counterbore, the outwardly diverging ends of the gripping fingers functioning to center the tee and guide it past the humps 25. Upon the tee head passing the humps, the spring fingers close against the tapered underface of the tee head, asillustrated in Fig. 2, and thus resiliently secure the tee against the push plate 21. The hand piece is now firmly gripped in the hand, generally as shown in Fig. 1, it being observed that theknob-like enlargement 13 on the hand piece provides substantial transverse surface area against which the palm of the hand may exert The-- pressure. The tee is set by simple axial downward thrust on the hand piece until further downward movement is terminated upon the lower edge of the hand piece engaging the ground. Such operation results in the pointed end of the tee being set or placedin the ground, with the head thereof. extending above the ground-to the elevation determined by the axial adjustment of plug I2 in the hand piece bore I I.

To provide for removal of the plug from the hand piece, there may be provided a small diameter axial hole 38 extending through the hand piece enlargement I3 which communicates with the bore H; A suitable tool, or a nail,or a stiff wire may be, inserted through the hole 38 to en gage the upper end of the plug II, thus to push it from the hand piece upon unthreading of the securing screw I 8.

A golf tee setting device as described may be simply manufactured. The hand piece ill may be turned from a length of round wooden stool: and thereupon drilled to provide bore i i and counterbore It. Or the hand piece may be molded complete in a simple molding operation from a suitable plastic material. The plug I2 may be fashioned'from wood or light-weight metal i. e. aluminum, and the gripping fingers 28 may be formed from readily available spring wire having the requisite stiffness.

Without further analysis it will be appreciated that the golf setting device as described achieves the desirable objectives set forth above. However, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in shape, size, dimensions and arrangement of parts without departing from the invention which is not limited to the specific details of construction of the illustrated device.

I claim:

1. A pocket-type golf tee setting device comprising a cylindrical hand piece of length and diameter such that it may be carried about in a pocket and having an external knob-like enlargement at its. one end providing substantial transverse surface area for receiving hand thrust applied through the palm of the hand, said hand piece having an axial bore and a counterbore opening through its other end, a cylindrical smooth-surfaced plug havinga diameter corresponding to the diameter of the bore and being received therein with slide fit for a depth such that one end of the plug extends into the counterbore, means for securing the plug to and in a desired position of axial adjustment with respect to the hand piece, aplurality of resilient gripping fin ers extending axially of the plug, the inner end portions of the fingers being readily-detachably secured to the external surface of the plug and fiush therewith, the outer end portions of the fingers projecting beyond the end face of the plug and into said counterbore, said projecting portions of the fingers being formed with inwardly REFERENCES CITED ec d humps d outwardly flaring terminals, The following references are of record in the said terminals functioning to center the head of file of thi patent: a tee inserted into the counterhore, and said 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS humps belng adapted to close against the undersurface of the tee head, thereby to resiliently Number Name Date secure the tee head against the end face of the 916,026 sa'sseman 23, 1909 plug 1,634,652 Czichos July 5, 1927 2. A pocket-type golf tee setting device as set 10 1,852,956 CZmhQS forth in claim 1, wherein the axial bore has a blind 1,902,682 Walmth inner end, and wherein washers are interposed F R IGN PATENTS between the blind end of the bore and the corre- Number Country Date spondmg end of the plug, said washers being 348,152 Great Britain May 8 1931 effective to transmit thrust applied to the hand 15 piece to the plug.

ROBERT L. MASON. 

